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This reminds me of when I used to work for an endodontist, and sweet 80-year-old women would come in and say "now how long should I expect this root canal to last?" Well... at least as long as the rest of you!

If she's not having any symptoms, then really, I don't see the point of going through all that. It should be her decision, though... unless you are making medical decisions for her, of course.

Thanks to all the others who have weighed in - yes she is mentally capable of making her own decision - and I WILL be in contact with her doctor to ask if the benefit outweighs the discomfort/possible complications.

Any others with experience with this or other elder parent care issues are welcone to reply.

There are several types of polyps- did they say which kinds had been found?

My friend's mom had one at 86 and experienced a perforation, causing her a number of problems. When she got out of the hospital (due to the perforation), she said that she wished she had never had it done, because even if they had found cancer, she would not have had the surgery.

I've read that the wall of the colon thins as we age and that perforations increase with age, but are not common. If someone feels like Granny, that they would not have the surgery if cancer had been found, then probably not. I think it's a personal decision.

It does have possible dangers. The colon walls get very thin. I had a relative that was in her 70s that had one. Afterwards, she was fine, then she began to get sick, stomach pains, etc. Finally, she collapsed. There had been a tiny, tiny pucture that the doctor was unaware of. By the time she collapsed, the bowel contents had leaked into her abdomen and peritonitis had set in. There was nothing that could be done. She died very quickly.

So, yes, she could die of undected cancer. She is the one that is going to undergo the risk, and she is the one to make the choice. I wouldn't try to convince her one way or the other.

For myself....I don't ever want to undergo the prep medication ever again. I'm at an age when I just can't see the value in the procedure.

Actually, the standard interval for a patient who has had polyps in the past is three years between colonoscopies. The point is to snag the polyps before they undergo malignant transformation.

I've just had a colonoscopy this month. They removed two polyps, one of which was pre-cancerous. Regardless, they still want me to come back in five years. Should I have to worry then?

He had recommended low dose daily aspirin and a minimum of 700 mg of calcium daily for increased colon health. The aspirin in studies claims to reduce the occurence of colon cancer by 17%.

Kaykay, my Mom who is turning 80 refuses to have a colonoscopy as well. She's fairly aware of the protocol to prepare for it and said she'd have none of that. I guess at 80, I can have her decide on her medical issues and is willing to take that risk.

I've just had a colonoscopy this month. They removed two polyps, one of which was pre-cancerous. Regardless, they still want me to come back in five years. Should I have to worry then?

He had recommended low dose daily aspirin and a minimum of 700 mg of calcium daily for increased colon health. The aspirin in studies claims to reduce the occurence of colon cancer by 17%.

Kaykay, my Mom who is turning 80 refuses to have a colonoscopy as well. She's fairly aware of the protocol to prepare for it and said she'd have none of that. I guess at 80, I can have her decide on her medical issues and is willing to take that risk.

Yeah, I think if they are mentally competent, it's up to them to make that call.
In interest of accuracy, I said that my dr. recommended follow-up at 3 years, but when I thought about it, I remembered it WAS 2, not 3 years he recommended.

I am 62 and I had a colonoscopy five years ago. I do not plan to have another as they found nothing wrong at all. I would hope that if I live to be 82 and am still in my right mind, no one would force such an invasive test on me. In fact, even if I was NOT in my right mind I would not want anyone to make that decision for me...not at that age!

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